Encubator: hunting for green start-ups

Acceleration programme for sustainable technology projects kicks off

Applications are now open for Encubator, the acceleration programme promoted by the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, PoliHub and the Politecnico di Milano, to identify technological projects in the field of sustainability and maximise their potential.

The aim is to identify teams that are designing technologies capable of addressing the most pressing social, environmental and economic challenges of our time, supporting their growth through acceleration programmes, grants and access to investors.

Encubator is aimed at university or research centre spinoffs, as well as Italian, European and international early-stage start-ups capable of providing solutions to the main challenges faced in the fields of Climate Tech and sustainability with regards to accelerating the energy transition towards a 'carbon free' development model. It also aims to make urban environments and transport more sustainable, in order to reduce waste and work towards a circular economy model.

Applications are open until 31 October and the acceleration programme will end in May 2023.

During the final, which is due to take place in January, an Institutional Jury made up of representatives from the Politecnico di Milano, PoliHub, the Chamber of Commerce and each of the programme's Partners and Sponsors, as well as various experts from the worlds of industry, venture capital and IP protection, will award prizes to the 7 best teams.

The 7 winning start-ups will have access to:

• a cash grant worth EUR 40,000, of which EUR 25,000 is to be invested in the development of the project and EUR 15,000 to benefit from the acceleration programme
• a 4-month acceleration programme managed by PoliHub to support the technological growth and validation of the start-up's business structure 
• a network of companies, founders, mentors, subject matter experts and investors from the worlds of business, energy and the circular economy.
• a Demo Day, where you have the opportunity to meet investors and embark on a priority path to access seed investments

The climate crisis is plain for everyone to see, with increasingly serious environmental and social consequences. Working to reduce its effects is an obligation, and now is the time to take concrete action. We need new technologies that protect natural resources, solutions that do not impact the environment. Start-ups are the best players to bring new inventions to the market, especially those originating from university research. We are convinced that new technologies capable of reducing emissions, protecting natural resources and limiting the environmental impact of human activities will emerge from Encubator,

says PoliHub CEO, Enrico Deluchi.

We are launching an acceleration programme in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano and PoliHub that epitomises the values that the Chamber of Commerce would like and intends to grow: innovation, human capital, sustainability. This is why we are committed to fostering and supporting start-ups that have the vision, talent and technology necessary to develop models and solutions that can meet the challenges of this ecological transition,

said Elena Vasco, Secretary General of the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce.

The green transition is the biggest current challenge we face, where sustainability is understood not only in environmental terms, but also in technological, economic and social terms. It is crucial that these aspects go hand in hand. Research can and must find cutting-edge solutions, but it is essential that they can be brought to market, to get out of the laboratories, to move from experimentation to implementation. Initiatives such as Encubator are certainly important for developing this area, but we need to take it a step further: we need to define a national, if not European, policy on innovation and start-ups in order to oversee technological developments from a competitive perspective,

adds Ferruccio Resta, Rector of the Politecnico di Milano.

More information can be found on www.startupencubator.com. 

ORGANISERS | Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, PoliHub - Innovation Park & Startup Accelerator and Politecnico di Milano.
PARTNERS | BCC Milano Innovatec Group 
MAIN SPONSOR | PwC
INDUSTRY & CORPORATE SPONSOR | AUTOGUIDOVIE BAXI DAB Pumps SARIA Italy MILANI SPA
INNOVATION PARTNER | PNICube
MEDIA PARTNER | GreenandBlue